entendem

Entendem is the third-person plural present indicative form of entender, a Portuguese verb meaning to understand. It is used with the subjects eles, elas, or vocês to express that a group understands something in the present. In both European and Brazilian Portuguese, entender is a regular -er verb, and the present tense endings follow the standard pattern for -er verbs.

Conjugation and usage: The present tense forms are eu entendo, tu entendes, ele entende, nós entendemos, eles entendem. The form entende corresponds to ele/ela entende, while entendem appears with eles/elas or vocês. For example: Eles entendem a explicação. Vocês entendem o que eu disse?

Etymology and cognates: entender derives from Latin intendere, meaning to stretch toward or to aim. The sense of “to understand” developed metaphorically from the idea of extending the mind toward comprehension. Cognates appear in Spanish entender (entienden) and French entendre (to hear or understand in certain contexts), reflecting a common Romance origin.

Usage notes: Entender is used with direct objects, as in entender algo, and with phrases such as entender de, meaning to have knowledge about a subject (entender de informática, por exemplo). The verb also forms other tenses and moods (entendi, entendias, entenderíamos, entendam), and its negation is não entender. Entendem is a common form in everyday speech, signaling collective or formal address.